


Once Upon a Dream

by LetMeEntertainYou



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Autistic!John, Fluffy, M/M, old!joger
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-10-10 05:35:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20522801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LetMeEntertainYou/pseuds/LetMeEntertainYou
Summary: “Brilliant,” Brian said, coughing as to not give away the urge he felt to get teary eyed.Roger was long passed that. Wiping at a tear, he nodded, his heart knowing that this was it. The gift he’d give John. “Thank you,” he choked out. Brian gave him a side hug, resting his head on his shoulder.“It’s perfect.”





	Once Upon a Dream

**Author's Note:**

> My blog is Disabled-Queen-HC and InHopeIBreathe on tumblr.

“So, why exactly did you call me over?” Brian said as he sat down his guitar case, settling into one of the chairs in Roger’s home studio.

Roger, who was already sat down, a hand running through his white beard, face pensive, barely acknowledged his friend, his eyes on the music score before him. “I need your help,” he mumbled, his mind distracted with all that had to be done.

“Yeah, I figured that out, genius. With what?” Brian asked, rolling his eyes some.

“Oh. Sorry. This,” Roger said, pushing the papers over to Brian. Brian snatched them up, putting on his bifocals to see what the blurry mess of ink was supposed to be.

Oh boy. _A song. _

There was no doubt Roger was a musical prodigy (when he tried) but there were times where he got too involved with the craft. Striving for a level of perfectionism that went well into the territory of tedium. Even at this age, working on songs together only made Brian’s hair whiter. He was already dreading whatever the drummer needed help with.

“Um, what is this exactly?” Brian asked, holding the score a bit further from his face to see the lyrics clearly.

The daze on Roger’s face melted, a big grin spreading on his lips, a blush dusting over his cheeks. “It’s a song for John. Our 40th anniversary is coming up and well, I wanted to give him something big. A song,” Roger said, his skin growing redder as he spoke.

Brian couldn’t help but to smile too, his eyebrows waggling suggestively at Roger. “40, huh? That long? You two…” He didn’t need to finish the sentence. John and Roger had been through a lot together in those 4 decades. Ups and downs, lefts and rights. Everything. And here was Roger now, blushing like a schoolgirl talking about his husband. Enough said.

“Composition wise, this looks solid. Although the lyrics are quite sappy if you ask me,” Brian continued, checking everything out on the score once more.

“Of course, the composition is good. _I_ made it. I don’t need help with that. Or with the lyrics, thank you very much. It’s not my song. It’s a Disney song,” Roger said as he grabbed the sheets back.

“Is it? Didn’t even recognize it... But I’ll assume it’s one of John’s favorites.” Brian said, resting his cheek against the palm of his hand.

Roger shot him a cheeky smile. “It’s not. Not yet at least. Which is why I need you,” he said, his demeanor shifting back to business. “I’ve recorded everything. It’s all done. Besides the vocals. I mean, I tried to record that too, but my voice is just too…scratchy.” Roger frowned, unconsciously rubbing at his throat. His voice had made millions melt and rock out through the years. He never once doubted his vocal ability until now. This song was supposed to be soft and beautiful and almost like a lullaby, all of which his voice was incapable of doing.

Brian chuckled, his arms folding against his chest, leaning back against the chair. “I see. You need my vocal prowess to woo your husband,” he said, a little _too_ confidently.

“First of all, you’re a tosser. And secondly, yes. Yes, I do. So, will you record this for me, please? For your best mates 40th?” Roger pleaded, even going so far as to pout, which was undignified, but he _needed_ this. For his husband.

Brian pretended to ponder the request, his white curls shaking as he juggled nonexistent tasks in his head. Roger only deadpanned at the act.

“You already know my answer, git. But to be clear, I’m doing this for John. Not at all for you,” Brian said teasingly, holding up a finger. Although, he perhaps wasn’t lying. This recording process would be hell and he knew it.

Roger stuck his tongue out at him, but he took it.

♚

“I started to lose all hope on take 23, but take 24 really made it all worth it,” Brian said as he pressed the play button on the mixing table.

They both smiled at each other as a piano and acoustic guitar duet faded in, the notes soft and light like flower petals in the wind. They danced around each other and swayed, their melodies intertwining into an airy ballad.

Brian’s voice melted into the instruments so well, you couldn’t even notice it at first. His voice was as pure and sweet as it was during his youth. Every word poured out of him into a crystalline pool, clear enough that one could see the love behind every syllable.

Gentle and tender, he sung, his voice filling the studio. Until all three of them, Brian, the guitar and piano frolicked away, their sounds and their song coming to a close.

“Brilliant,” Brian said, coughing as to not give away the urge he felt to get teary eyed.

Roger was long passed that. Wiping at a tear, he nodded, his heart knowing that this was it. The gift he’d give John. “Thank you,” he choked out. Brian gave him a side hug, resting his head on his shoulder.

“It’s perfect.”

♚

Roger stood up from the dining table, his heart racing. He gazed back at his husband, who smiled back at him, his head tilted.

“What are you doing?” John asked, setting down his wine glass.

“Nothin’,”Roger said with a mischievous look as he reached for his phone in his pocket.

John frowned, sitting up straight in his chair. “We said no presents this year.” With all the money they had, presents felt like a cheap way to celebrate their milestones. Especially the milestones that pertained to their love. All they needed was each other. And _maybe_ one expensive bottle of wine. But mostly each other.

“Yeah, we did. I did a rotten job of following through though,” Roger chuckled, his belly jiggling as he did.

Without giving John another opportunity to protest, he tapped away on his phone until the house speakers turned on.

John was confused, his thumbs rubbing against his fingers, a nervous stim of his.

And then his fingers stopped when music began to play.

It felt similar to when you had something at the tip of your tongue.

A song he knew but couldn’t quite put a finger on.

He strained his ears and his brain to remember until Brian began to croon.

_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream._

_I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam._

_And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem,_

_But if I know you, I know what you'll do,_

_You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream._

John’s mouth popped open in surprise, everything clicking. He didn’t recognize the song because it was a cover. A cover made special for him.

“How did you-“ he wanted to ask, but was interrupted by a hand being held out to him.

“Would you like to dance?” Roger asked, his crow feet adorned eyes twinkling. John had no other want but to say yes.

_But if I know you, I know what you'll do,_

_You'll love me at once,_

_The way you did once upon a dream._

The setting sun painted the house in golds and purples, a warmth washing through every room. As the music swirled and caressed, John and Roger danced in the middle of it all. Their wrinkled hands held onto each other’s, their generously sized bellies pressed up to the other. With white hair, or no hair in John’s case, and cloudy eyes, they smiled at each other, John’s droopy cheeks wet with happy tears.

_I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream._

_I know you, that gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam._

How fast the years go by. One minute, they’re young and spry with the world in their palms and the next, they crackle with every step and can’t see without glasses thicker than a dictionary.

And while their bodies seemingly degrade, the love they have stored for each other in their hearts only grows stronger. And younger. And more beautiful. And more wild.

Roger gave John a spin, John’s hair suddenly dropping down in dark brown waves to his shoulders, his back straightening out, his skin going smooth. With yellow tousled hair and a trim physique, Roger dipped his lover, earning himself the giggles of a John whose voice was bright, unmarred by smoke. John returned the favor, twirling Roger around, Roger’s long hair flying every which way, his hand calloused but soft in John’s.

_And I know it's true that visions are seldom all they seem,_

_But if I know you, I know what you'll do,_

Softly laughing, the two of them pressed their now creased foreheads together, their aching feet moving slowly to the song, carrying them in a circle.

“I love you,” Roger whispered, looking into John’s grey eyes, the same as they were some 40 years ago.

“I love you too,” John said, his hands fighting the urge flap in Roger’s grip, his gaze on the timeless, unchanging smile on Roger’s lips.

_You'll love me at once, _

_the way you did once upon a dream._


End file.
